Innovation Arena Awards

€65,000 in prizes available to innovative agri companies

The National Ploughing Championships Innovation Arena Awards, in conjunction with Enterprise Ireland and the Farmer’s Journal, has opened for applications. Irish agri companies are invited to showcase their products and innovations at the heart of the NPA Innovation Arena at the National Ploughing Championships in Screggan, Tullamore, Co. Offaly on September 20^th-22^nd 2016. Innovation Awards winners will be announced across a range of categories including ‘Agri Engineering’ and ‘Sustainable Agriculture’ and will be eligible to win up to €15,000 as a top prize.  This year, for the first time, applications are encouraged from International entrants competing globally for a specific category award.

The Innovation Arena is the ideal place to showcase ground-breaking agri-related developments, whether they are backyard inventions or professional innovations, to the thousands of visitors the National Ploughing Championships attract each year. It puts Irish agri innovations on a global stage and facilitates networks that have helped individuals and companies to achieve commercial success. Last year’s competition attracted 170 entries; 54 were shortlisted as 2015 finalists and invited to exhibit in the Innovation Arena.

Julie Sinnamon, CEO Enterprise Ireland said “The agri sector is of huge importance to the Irish economy and the Innovation Arena is a key event for Enterprise Ireland where we showcase the top Irish agri innovations. Each year the Innovation Arena is going from strength to strength; last year the number of entries doubled and we expect an equally strong response to the Innovation Arena this year.”

Anna May McHugh, Managing Director of the National Ploughing Championships said: “The NPA are delighted to join forces again with Enterprise Ireland and the Farmers Journal for this year’s Innovation Arena. The Innovation Arena provides entrepreneurs and innovators with an excellent platform to showcase their businesses to those that attend the National Ploughing Championships every year”.

The 2016 NPA Innovation Arena prize fund equates to over €65,000 in supports. The overall award winner will receive a top prize worth €15,000 from Enterprise Ireland and The Irish Farmers Journal which includes advertising and PR support, mentoring and a cash prize of €5,000. All finalists will receive €500 worth of advertising vouchers to promote their innovation through the Irish Farmers Journal.